


And making Death a Victory

by eravy



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Character Death, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, sorry for the sad fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 03:31:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13309515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eravy/pseuds/eravy
Summary: You hear the roaring crowd before you can see it: a sort of unrestful rumble that matches the beating of your heart as you approach the open square. You have tried so hard to avoid this. All your work in the investigation was wrapped around clever ways of eluding this outcome, but the moment has finally come. Julian has been apprehended and was now sentenced to die.





	And making Death a Victory

You hear the roaring crowd before you can see it: a sort of unrestful rumble that matches the beating of your heart as you approach the open square. You have tried so hard to avoid this. All your work in the investigation was wrapped around clever ways of eluding this outcome, but the moment has finally come. Julian has been apprehended and was now sentenced to die.

The impulse of pushing your way through the crowd comes almost automatically; a reminder of past days when you saw the good doctor for the first time, wandering around the market unmasked. Today, you are to face him once more, but this time he cannot vanish into the multitude of the crowd. Today, the crowd is here to witness his hanging.

As you reach the front of the scaffold, you pause, taking in the dreadful sight. The bleak wooden structure looms over the square, clashing with its otherwise vibrant colors. It feels strange to know that this place of usual lively banter will soon turn into a scene for an act of death and sorrow.

Looking around, you see the Countess seated on a high stand. You draw closer, and as she meets your gaze, the Countess beckons you to join her. After climbing the few wooden stairs, you notice that Portia and a couple of guards are also with her. Your heart sinks a bit at the sight of the trusted maid. You try to smile towards Portia, but she doesn’t see you. Her eyes are firmly locked on the gallows. She looks pale and fidgety, and her hand grips tightly at the sides of her shirt. Distressed, you return your attention towards the Countess and sit next to her.

“What a ghastly business,” Nadia says watching with aversion as a guard checks if the noose is properly secured into place. “But the mob will surely love the spectacle.”

She turns to you, her eyes slightly curious as if awaiting a reply for an unasked question. Yet you are unsure how to feel about this. Something doesn’t seem quite right. You look down at the crowd and spot some familiar faces. The atmosphere is tense and a sense of misery clings to the surroundings.

“I can see that this troubles you,” Nadia says looking at you with mild concern. “I must assure you that this decision was not lightly taken. The people need to see justice be done.”

She frowns, putting one of her hands to the sides of her elegant hairline, and takes a few moments of silence before she speaks again. “They need to know that I care for their safety and wellbeing. It is not something I do with a light heart, but alas, there can be no doubt about the doctor’s punishment.”

You lower your gaze, pondering her words, but you do not have much time to think. All of a sudden, a sharp musical sound catches everyone’s attention, and you hear commotion among the crowd. With the corner of your eye, you spot the glimpse of a familiar shade of red. Julian. He is being ushered onto the scaffold.

Behind you, you catch Portia’s small gasp before the public explodes into a loud clamor. Your own heart starts beating faster than before, and a tight knot settles deep into your stomach.

“At last,” the Countess’ face hardens as she watches a bound Julian being escorted towards the gallows. “He has tried my patience for too long.”

Below, an officer reads out the charges. Arson, murder, treason… And, soon after, the Countess rises to address the crowd.

“Good people of Vesuvia, the time has come for you to know peace once more. Before you stands my husband’s murderer, his trusted physician who has so abused our hospitality. This man has committed a great injustice to this city, such a vile crime that even he could no longer bear it. He has finally come to meet his fate and pay for his betrayal. Good people of Vesuvia, know that justice will be done. Today, the deceitful doctor Devorak will receive his long awaited punishment.”

Her words carry weight and all cheer, save for Portia who tries to hide her slight tremble. As she turns to retake her seat, the Countess looks surprised at the state of her maid.

“Portia?”

“Forgive me, milady. It’s the nerves,” the other says steadying herself.

The Countess nods and turns to retake her seat. “Indeed, it is a rather dreadful sight.”

An acute sense of panic rushes over you. You can see Julian being led towards the rope and your heart utterly sinks. He doesn’t look afraid, and in a way that frightens you more. A deep resignation is imprinted upon his face, and his eye holds no flicker of light or hope. There is something unnerving in the certainty with which he wears the noose around his neck, as if he has borne his punishment long before stepping upon the gallows. The thickness of the rope looks insignificant on his large frame, yet it makes your gut twist. You feel your blood rushing, filling you with an uncomfortable warmness. Your heart beats so fast your chest might explode. This is unendurable. You need to do something.

“Is this truly wise?” You turn towards the Countess with a bit too much haste, noticeably startling her. “The evidence is lacking, the story is incomplete…”

Nadia returns a curious, yet sympathetic look at your rushed words. “You believe there is still not enough to support his guilt?”

“…I believe there is still the possibility of him being innocent.”

You can see a faint trace of amusement playing on the Countess’ face as she regards you. “Ever the hopeful… But my dear, he has confessed. Surely the man is not an upstanding character of honesty, but even his confession should be held as a pivotal evidence of guilt. He has willingly surrendered himself to us and shall now face the consequences for his crime.”

 _Yes, but Julian is an idiot_ , you say to yourself.

You impulsively spring up from your seat, causing Nadia to audibly gasp out in surprise. You rush towards the edge of the stand, gripping hard at the rugged wood of its railing.

“Julian!”

The shout gives you the chance to let out a breath you did not know you were holding. But in an instant you can feel everyone’s eyes darting on you, and you begin to realize your situation. There is nothing you can do to change this, at least nothing that would not automatically place you right next to him on the gallows. You feel your knees faltering as Julian’s woeful gaze falls on your face.

From below, you can hear him sighing out your name. “Don’t…” he pleas. “This is for the best. For everyone. I don’t want to cause any more harm. It is best if I just…”

That look on his face makes you want to shout again. But what can you possibly say to a dying man? Something to ease his mind perhaps.

“You’re a good man, Julian. In spite of everything, I truly believe it. Don’t ever forget that!”

There is a bitter smile that rises on his lips, a pale ghost of his usual charming smirk. But better than nothing. You see a faint trace of life cradling inside him in his final moment.

In the end, it seems, there is no other way than to witness Julian’s death. You return to the initial position on your seat and feel like sinking down, weightless. There is a murmur in the crowd as everyone watches the gallows in consternation.

The fluttering of your heart is now a constant gag at the base of your throat, and you fear that after this day you might never get rid of it. You see the hangman straightening the rope, and Julian slowly averting his head towards the sky. There, on the clear bright blue, a single raven circles over his head relentlessly.

As Julian’s feet are lifted off the wooden scaffold, you close your eyes, unable to watch the scene anymore. In the momentary silence that overtakes the square, the sharp shrill of the bird cuts through, accompanied by the heartbreaking cry of a trusted maid, and by your painful gasp for air.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! And sorry for bringing sadness into this wonderful fandom, but I can only write angst.


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